


When We Were Young

by JabbaJambler



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Disney, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Jedi Code (Star Wars), Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Training (Star Wars), Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets a Hug, Original Character(s), Star Wars References
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:01:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28175826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JabbaJambler/pseuds/JabbaJambler
Summary: "𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮.""𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞?""𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲."Aaryn Skywalker was never one for following the rules. This made her life as a Jedi much more difficult, especially when she heard her entire life that she was the Chosen One.After leaving the Jedi Order to find herself, she's called upon to assist in the Clone Wars. Something she NEVER expected to happen. Especially when she is paired up alongside her brother, Anakin, and old friend Obi Wan Kenobi.Battling droids is something she expected. Battling emotions is a whole other fight on it's own and she's afraid its not one she's willing to face.Maybe, just maybe, she'll be able to find peace in the unforgiving war.𝐎𝐛𝐢 𝐖𝐚𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐢 𝐱 𝐎𝐂𝐀 (𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟) 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲I am not in association with Disney or Lucas Films. The only thing I have the rights to are my characters and their stories. There may be some alterations here and there, but overall, this follows the general plot to The Clone Wars.As always, I would love to hear comments and recommendations.Enjoy When We Were Young :)
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Original Female Character(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi/Other(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi/Reader, Obi-Wan Kenobi/You
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

# 00

* * *

"What do you think is going to happen now?"

Aaryn's eyes shifted to watch the timid man next to her. His face was red and streaked with tears that had come and gone the past few days. Her hands ached to reach over and wrap him up in her arms. 

He, too, wanted nothing more than to crumble in her embrace.

But they couldn't here. They had been much too cautious for the last two years to let it all fall apart now. 

"Aaryn?"

"I don't know, Obi." Her strained voice spoke out. 

He inched closer, slipping his hand in hers. They both relished in the feeling of the other's heartbeat through their palms.

"He's your brother. Aren't you worried?"

"You're the best Jedi I've ever met. I trust that you'll teach him well."

Obi Wan scoffed. "Says the _chosen one_."

"Oh, will you stop that!" Aaryn laughed and bumped her shoulder against his.

"Seriously. What if they don't allow it? What if they think I'm not ready?"

A gentle sigh escaped her mouth as the words left his. Her grip tightened on his hand, trying desperately to hold him as close as she could. 

"You heard Qui Gon. Train the boy no matter what. He deserves this. After everything he has been through. I can't believe that I wasn't there for him and mom-"

Obi Wan's hands gently cupped the sides of her face, pulling her thoughts away from the family she left behind. Aaryn's eyes crept across his features, creating a map of every little detail. Her eyes lingered on the shape of his lips, causing a blush to spread across his face. 

"It's not your fault. You couldn't have known." He whispered as the pads of his fingers danced across her skin. They trailed down her neck and shoulders, bringing goosebumps to her flesh. "There was nothing you could have done."

"Qui-Gon isn't your fault either."

"What?"

"We were stuck. Even the Force couldn't help us with that." She sighed and pulled his hands from her shoulders. "You're going to have to be more careful around me once we're knights, you know?"

He let out a warm chuckle and turned away from the girl next to him, focusing on the large doors. "Oh, I'm aware. However, I think _you_ are going to have more struggles with that than I am."

She scoffed at that. "You are a horrible liar, love."

" _Love_?" He gaped at the name, his brilliant blue eyes growing wide. 

The door swung open before Obi Wan could ask anything else. The small, but wise, green Jedi stood before the two with his hands folded over his cane. "Come in, you can, Skywalker and Kenobi." 

The young padawan's shuffled inside, careful not to be too close. They tried to avoid any suspicions regarding their relationship, but they also worried that they were sometimes painfully obvious. 

Both settled on the ground, kneeling before the short Master Jedi. Their robes cascaded down their shoulders, pooling on the floor beneath them. Obi's, a soft brown in stark contrast to Aaryn's black ones. 

"Confer on you the level of Jedi knight, the council does." Yoda spoke as he paced in front of them. "But agree with your taking this boy as your Padawan learner, _I_ do not."

"Qui-Gon believed in him." Obi Wan argued as Aaryn ducked her head.

Yoda sighed. "The chosen one the boy may be. Nevertheless, grave danger I fear in his training."

"Master Yoda, I gave Qui-Gon my word. I will train Anakin." Yoda grunted and shook his head at the newly knighted Obi Wan's defenses. "Without the approval of the council, if I must."

"Qui-Gon's defiance I sense in you. Both of you. Need that you do not. Agree with you the council does. You apprentice Skywalker will be."

Obi Wan bowed his head, looking over to Aaryn as he expected her to do the same. Instead, she raised her head high and proud.

"What will become of me, Master Yoda?" She said with a smile. 

"Finish your training with Obi Wan you will. Ready to be a knight you are not." He shook his head as he stood in front of her.

Aaryn's face scrunched into one of confusion and anger. Obi Wan could understand her frustrations, he had heard her complaints of the council several times in private. She was never so openly emotional in front of one of its members, especially her previous master.

"I beg your pardon but I am perfectly ready to become a knight. Forgive me, Obi Wan, but Master Yoda, I am more powerful and skilled than any other Padawan. I am _ready_." 

"Too loud your emotions are, Padawan. Manage them you will learn. On a path to the dark side we fear you are."

"No." She hissed, rising to her feet. "You said I was the chosen one. You said I was meant to become something extraordinary and now you're afraid of it."

"Aaryn." Obi Wan whispered in a desperate attempt to calm her.

"Take your tradition and your silly little codes. I am not going to be toyed around by the Jedi Order any longer." Aaryn grabbed the lightsaber hilt at her hip, using her strength in the force to crush it to scraps of metal. She grabbed the blue kyber crystal that had fallen to the ground and stuffed it in her pocket. "Piss off."

Her heavy stomps from her boots followed her out the door along with a surprisingly gentle slam. Obi Wan sighed and stared down at the pieces of what was once Aaryn's lightsaber. He knew that she thought about this several times but never thought that she would follow through with it.

"Talk to her you must." Yoda nodded and gestured with his cane towards the door. "Excused you are."

Obi Wan stood and thanked the Master Jedi before he shuffled to the doors. Aaryn was nowhere to be seen but there was no one who knew the elder Skywalker better than Kenobi. Once he was sure the door was shut behind him, he took off in a sprint, leaving the building as fast as his feet could carry him.

"Aaryn!" He shouted as he chased after the black-cladded figure. "Aaryn, please. Won't you stop and listen to me?

"You heard them, Obi Wan! I'm on a path to the dark side." Aaryn's stomps continued on

"I know you don't think that's true."

"Do I?" She growled as she finally turned to face her friend. "Do _you_? What do you think, Obi Wan? Am I on a path to the dark side?"

He shifted nervously under her intense stare. "I-I think that you sometimes get ahead of yourself and forget the code, but that does not mean-"

"Oh, bullshit!" Aaryn shouted. "I see you jump when I'm fighting, always wondering if I'm going to take a fatal swing. I know when you cringe at the harsh words I say and I know that you are always scared that one of these days, I'm going to have enough. Well, here it is Obi. I'm fed up with the Jedi lies."

"Aaryn." He whispered and cautiously took her hands in his. They were cold in his warm hands. Her hands were always cold it seemed. "I'm not scared of you."

The sun began to fall, turning the Coruscant sky a bright red with soft swirls of orange. It was fitting, Aaryn thought. The sky seemed just as angry as she did.

"Maybe you should be."

"Please don't leave." He pleaded. His hand moved to her chin, holding it gentle between his fingers. "Aaryn, you know I-"

Aaryn hurriedly pressed her lips to his with a soft and brief peck. One that both wish would have lasted longer.

"You shouldn't. You're a knight now and I'm... A runaway." She smiled. It almost felt painful. "We'll meet again, Obi. I'm sure of it. It seems that you can't really escape the Skywalker family."

"I wish I could. They're awfully troublesome."

The young woman pulled away from his grasp, tugging the dark hood over her head. "Good luck. I think you'll need it."

Obi Wan's eyes fell. She was truly leaving and he couldn't wrap his brain around it. He wanted to reach out for her or maybe even run after her. Could he run away with her and leave behind the Jedi Order?

"May the Force be with you, Obi."

"And to you as well, my _love_."


	2. Chapter 2

# 01

* * *

The sun was bright on Coruscant. I always loved how the city would glow and beam. Even on the darkest days, it could lift my spirits. Thankfully, today was not one of those dark days. Today was a day that could easily make history, the day the Jedi called in _me_ for assistance in their war.

I never had a huge opinion in the war. Of course, I wasn't a fan of it, but no strong opinions. I only wished it would end. Hopefully with my help, it will. 

"Aaryn Skywalker?" An orange, armor-cladded clone asked. Their helmet resembled those of the Mandalorians. I always thought that was silly. But of course I couldn't put it past the Jedi to steal their ideas. 

"That's me." I sighed, holding onto a large bag that I had packed for my time. They told me to pack the necessities and for me, there was a lot. 

The clone trooper grabbed my bag and led me onto the small ship. I assumed we would be traveling to a larger Republic station. It was a simple ship, nothing too fancy. It was old, though. Something I'm sure I once flew back when I trained under the Jedi Order.

"There's another Skywalker in your ranks. Any relation?" The trooper sparked up a conversation as we took off into the air. My stomach sunk while I gazed out the windows. I would miss my city, but I hoped this wouldn't take too long. 

"Yes. I have a brother, Anakin." I couldn't help the smile on my face as I thought about the once blond haired boy. Our mother was never sure of who either of our dad's were so I always assumed it was the same. It was strange, though, that she never knew our father. In fact, she was never sure about how we even came to be.

"That could get confusing." He chuckled. He had a nice laugh. It was warm and inviting. 

"Oh, I'm sure we won't be around each other too often. The council will want us as far away from each other as possible. They probably think I'm a bad influence."

"You certainly have similar taste." He joked. I cocked my head to the side. I didn't quite understand what he was getting at. 

"Your clothes, I mean." He gestured towards the black cloak that was wrapped around my shoulders. Despite the warm, rising sun of Coruscant, the mornings were still quite cold. "General Skywalker tends to prefer the darker colors as well."

"Did you say _General_ Skywalker?" He nodded. "He's practically a child. How did he land that position?"

The clone shrugged and relaxed in his seat as another clone in the same color armor flew the ship. 

"I'm not sure but he's a hell of a leader. His Padawan, Ahoska-"

"Excuse me, his _Padawan_? You must be joking!" I smiled as I spoke with the clone. He was easy to talk to.

"No, I am not. Wish I was, sometimes. Those two are quite the pair."

I laughed as a darkness had settled in the ship. We finally reached the stars, the glowing, ever changing stars. 

"You know, I never got your name, Commander."

"Cody. Commander Cody of the 212th Attack Battalion."

"Well, Cody," I smiled, "relax. We have quite the ride ahead of us."

And it was quite the ride. Cody told me stories of how he trained with his brothers.

Brothers.

The term was endearing. They were able to form a connection with someone right from the beginning. It was nice to know that our soldiers were real men regardless of whether they were all duplicates, grown at a rapid rate. They had feelings and formed connections. It must have been a slip-up on the Jedi's part. I'm sure they formed attachments to their men all the time. 

"General Skywalker, we have arrived." Cody stood, stretching his body from the ride. 

I rolled my eyes and rose from my seat. "Please, call me Aaryn. I don't want things to get too confusing."

"Aaryn Skywalker." A deeper voice spoke up as the ramp rolled down to the metal floor. "We've been expecting you."

"Well I'd assume so since you invited me." I looked up to meet the cold stare of Mace Windu. I always wanted to see if I could get him to crack his tough exterior. Today was apparently not that day.

He sighed, his eyes trailing down to the bag in Cody's hand. "I thought we said to bring only what was necessary."

"You did. And I brought everything I deemed absolutely essential." I beamed. "I like what you've done with your hair by the way."

I could see his eye twitch in subtle annoyance, something I deemed a small win. I even earned a chuckle from Cody.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Shall we get going?" I sauntered down the ramp, expecting to find ourselves in some crowded landing dock, but we weren't. Well, there were plenty of ships but no people. "What? No welcome party? After all those years, I would hope that you'd remember I love to make a grand entrance."

"We're in a war, Skywalker. We have greater concerns than your welcoming." Windu hissed through his teeth.

"Aren't you a bundle of sunshine." I rolled my eyes. Windu was never the warmest person, but the war turned him into a complete ass. 

He led us down the cold, metal halls. For some reason, I expected the ship to be just a bit more inviting. After all, we're in a war. Everything else is dark and horrifying, why should the mother ship be the same? 

My face turned down in a small frown as my eyes shifted around. There were kids growing up in this, their childhood turned into a war zone. I couldn't imagine the toll that took on them. I was already afraid of what it would do to me. 

"I'm sure it must be strange for you to be here." Mace Windu spoke calmly beside me. "It is strange for us as well. We did not want to call you in."

"It was weird to receive the notice." I spoke honestly. Being here was weird. Hearing from the Jedi Order, however, was even weirder. I'm still not sure how they managed to find me in the first place.

"You've heard all about the war, I assume."

"Please, it's all anyone talks about." I chuckled. "Besides, it's great to rub it in all of your faces that after all this time, you called me back."

Mace stopped in the hall, turning quickly on his heel to face me. His dark eyes narrowed as they met my brown ones. "Now Aaryn-"

"I know, be civil." I smiled and played with the loose strands of hair that fell down my shoulders. It, too, was a dark brown. Someone once told me that I simply didn't look the part of a Jedi. My aura was tainted, _dark_. 

I glanced around the hall again, avoiding Windu's eyes. No one was there but the Master Jedi and I. The walls were bright but cold and plain. I suppose that was the 'Jedi way.'

"Commander Cody brought your things to your quarters. You can explore that later once it's time to settle down. Since you're so antsy to meet everyone, I'll introduce you to who you'll be working with."

"Of course. Who needs time to relax." I rolled my eyes, receiving another stern glare from Windu. 

"You have had eleven years of rest." He snapped and ushered me along the sad hall. 

My eyes wandered once we entered a large meeting room. There were clone troopers everywhere. Before Cody, I had never seen one so close. Soon enough, I'd be working with entire squadrons of them. Was I truly fit to lead an entire battalion of men into a war? I wasn't a Jedi, not anymore. I wasn't trained for something like this. 

"Captain Rex." Windu addressed one of the troopers that stood around a large hologram of a separatist-occupied planet. His armor was painted a vibrant blue, a stark contrast to the white and gray. What color would represent my men? "I'd like you to meet General Skywalker. You've been notified of her presence, I assume."

"General Skywalker?" He chortled. "I don't think so."

"And why not?" My smile turned into a scowl at his mockery. Or, what I assumed was mockery. Did I not seem capable of being a General? My hand reached for the brown and silver hilt on my hip. Surely _that_ would prove this trooper wrong. 

"Excuse me, ma'am, but General Skywalker has been with us for quite a while now." 

"Oh." The word barely left my mouth in a whisper as I dropped my hand back to my side. "You mean Anakin."

"Yes." He spoke quietly. It sounded more like a question than a statement.

Mace scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "You mean to tell me that Anakin has not told you about Aaryn's arrival?"

"You're Aaryn? Anakin talks about you all the time but never about you being here." Rex laughed lightly. It was so similar to Cody's but that shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did. 

"I told him to do one thing." Windu grumbled to himself. "Where is he-"

"Aaryn?" I heard a voice behind us. There was a tall man dressed in all dark robes. I had never seen a Jedi dressed in such a way - well, not since I was one. His hair was a light brown, wavy and soft. He wore a bright smile across his face, matching his beaming blue eyes. 

I recognized his eyes, first. They were similar and gave me a subtle sense of déjà vu. Honestly, I was ashamed of how long it took me to recognize him. It had been so long since I'd seen him, but I would _never_ forget the eyes of my baby brother.

"Anakin." I smiled. Before I knew it, he rushed towards me and crushed me in a tight hug. He had grown so much, standing nearly 8 inches taller than me. I returned the embrace with what strength I had left from his suffocating hold. "You're going to crush me." 

"Sorry." He let out a nervous laugh and stepped back, his eyes darting from mine to the undoubtedly angry glare of Mace Windu. "It's been a while."

"It has. I mean, just look at you! You're a _general_ now? Who decided it was a smart idea to give you that rank?"

"All Jedi Knights became Generals once the war started. The council thought I was ready to graduate from my training." He smiled proudly. My smile, however, was lost.

Only nineteen and he was already a Jedi Knight. How was he so different than me? I was 20 and they told me I still wasn't ready. 

Oh.

Right.

He was the _chosen one._ A title that once belonged to me.

"I doubt I'll compare to you, though, _General Skywalker_." He joked, giving me a small nudge in the ribs with his elbow. 

"You forget that I've gone eleven years without training. I'll struggle keeping up with you and your Padawan that I am so excited to meet!"

Anakin rolled his eyes at the mention of his Padawan. I still couldn't believe that _he_ was training someone. "If you think you'll struggle with us, just wait till you see Obi Wan on the battlefield."

"Obi Wan?" My eyes lifted at the mention of the name. It felt foreign on my tongue. 

"Did someone call for me?" An auburn haired man stepped into the room, dressed from head to toe in earthy robes. His blue eyes were soft and once they landed on me, grew wide in an emotion I couldn't quite detect. Fear? Remembrance? 

I'm surprised I recognized him, really. He changed so much in the last eleven years but then again, so did I. His Padawan braid was long gone and his short hair was grown out and swooped to the side neatly. A soft, red beard adorned his handsome face. I must say, he looked good with it. 

"Master, look who it is!" Anakin wrapped an arm around my shoulders, looking to me with a subtle wiggle of his eyebrows. 

"I see." Obi Wan breathed out. His back was straight, his entire posture was as stiff as a board. I wanted to run into his arms just as Anakin had done but I was sure that wouldn't be well-received by the other Jedi. Instead, I smiled a fake, but confident smile and held my hand out towards the man.

"It's nice to see you again, Obi Wan." 


	3. Chapter 3

# 02

* * *

The ship was freezing and brought goosebumps to my skin, something I was quite fond of despite some of the Jedi's complaints. I enjoyed the cold. That's why I moved to the underground part of Coruscant after I left the Jedi Order. It was dark, yes, but they were welcoming. They didn't discriminate based on your past or ask questions about who you once were. They just simply let you live.

No, they weren't the nicest people in the underground. I was robbed more times than I can remember. That's why I never carry anything of value other than my lightsaber. They would have to put up one hell of a fight to steal that from me. 

I've learned that one from experience. 

Still, it became a home. It was dangerous, sure, but I thought of it like an adventure. A life-threatening adventure every day and I loved every part of it. 

The ship sort of reminded me of the underground. No one cared about who you were or what you did, they just wanted to win. If that's not a perfect representation of the Jedi, I don't know what is. 

It was typically dark in the ship. When it wasn't, the lights were so bright and blinding that it hurt. There was no happy middle while living here, just like there was no middle ground to the Jedi. In their minds you were either evil or good, no in between. Still, why was I here?

Last I heard, I was evil beyond saving. There was so salvaging my power. Eleven years ago, I succumbed to the dark side, never to be heard of again. 

Only part of that was true.

So why exactly did they invite _me_?

"We are decrypting the audio, sir." I could hear one of the clones speak as I entered the room. Rex, Cody, Anakin, and Obi Wan all stood around the table, watching a pair of holograms speak. I didn't recognize them, but I hadn't been debriefed on most of the war and our enemies.

Despite being recruited in, I was kept in the dark about most of the war. If my suspicions were correct, I wasn't the only one being lied to. I had a feeling. Well, I guess it was the Force reaching out to me. That's what the Jedi would say at least. Nothing was a coincidence for them. 

"Secret meeting and no one cared to invite me?" I finally made them aware of my presence once the figures dissipated, fixing the armor that was wrapped around my forearm. The council offered to supply me with typical Jedi robes as well, but those weren't my style anymore. 

The armor was a worn black. I said it would blend better with most of our surroundings and the council surprisingly bought it. It matched the wine-colored tunic that I wore, paired with a wide, black belt that wrapped around my waist. The neckline dipped into a v-shape, something the Jedi frowned over so I wore a borderline mesh long-sleeve beneath it along with a pair of tight gray pants.

I didn't do it on purpose, although it appeared that I meant to match with my younger brother. It was as though Anakin and I were two peas in a pod. I wondered if I could embarrass him with that as well. 

"Are you joining us, Aaryn?" Anakin smiled, his eyes lifting in excitement. He certainly was that same little boy on Tatooine at heart. So much spirit, I was surprised the Jedi hadn't ripped that from him yet. 

"The council wants me to work alongside you two until I figure everything out for myself. So, yes. I will be joining you." I shuffled next to Obi Wan who nervously shifted on his feet, just barely glancing at me from the corner of his eye. I tried to offer him a smile, but he looked away as soon as he was caught. "What's going on?"

"They're going to attack our home planet." Rex frowned at the table, his helmet tucked away under his arm. 

Until now, I had yet to see the soldiers without their helmets, it was sort of strange. Rex's blonde hair was a stark contrast to Cody's. Looking at their faces, it was clear they were clones. They were so different, though. They had their own personalities and styles. They were, in their own way, unique. 

"The Separatists are taking quite the chance even considering this." Obi Wan spoke, his hand gently moving to cup his chin as he thought. His beard _did_ fit him well. The blue light from the table illuminated his face, creating a gentle shadow of his features. It paired well with his blue eyes, displaying each individual detail within them. 

I shook the intrusive thoughts from my mind and refocused on the task at hand. He was a Jedi master now and I had to respect that. I couldn't go around acting like we were children when we had clearly grown so much. 

"With all due respect, General, if someone comes to our home, they better be carrying a big blaster."

"I concur with Captain Rex, sir. This is personal for us clones." Cody finished before looking over to me with a smile. One that I graciously returned. 

Cody was kind enough to show me around the ship the night before. I discovered that he had been working alongside Obi Wan since the beginning of the war. I had so many questions but none that he felt comfortable enough to answer. Regardless, I considered him a friend. One of the few I had on-board. 

"What are we waiting for, then? We have no time to waste." 

Anakin nodded in agreement with me. "Tell your troopers in the 501st they're going home."

"Yes, sir." They both stood tall before leaving us three in the room. 

"So what's the plan?" I looked between the two. I wondered how they had grown over the past eleven years. They certainly looked as though they were pretty close. It was easy to see that Anakin adopted several of Obi Wan's little habits.

Obi Wan scoffed. Or was it his old huff of a laugh? "Since when have you been one to form a plan?"

My eyes darted towards the man. He had barely spoken a word to me since I arrived. I enjoyed hearing his voice again. It brought back so many memories that I wished I could relive. Instead he was a statue. He let on nothing and left everything up in the air. I couldn't read him the way I used to.

"Since we were in the middle of a war." I joked. "Now what are we doing?"

"I guess we'll find out after we get to Kamino." Anakin smiled and wrapped an arm over my shoulder. "Everything will fall right into place, trust me."

"For some reason, I'm not sure I believe you." 

We filed into a separate room near the back of the ship, soaring towards Kamino. I had never been. I hadn't even heard of the planet until the war started. It was like it appeared out of nowhere. Although with hyper speed, we'd be there in a matter of seconds. 

"So who were those people?" I asked, fiddling with my lightsaber in my hand. "On the hologram, I mean."

"Ventress and Grievous." Anakin rolled his eyes. "They're just two separatists that we can't seem to take down permanently."

"You mean kill them?"

"You two shouldn't speak in such a way." Obi Wan criticized our somewhat cruel discussion. Personally, I didn't think it was that bad. I could have said worse things. I _definitely_ have said worse things.

Anakin raised his hands in mock surrender, bringing a laugh up out of my chest. Obi Wan gave us a pointed glare, but I caught the way his lips turned up once he spun back around. I wanted to see his smile again, his true smile.

"So." I trailed off, tucking my lightsaber back onto its clip on my belt. "Kamino. Where did it even come from?"

Anakin chuckled and leaned back in his seat, folding his hands behind his head. He was confident, incredibly so. I can't imagine Obi Wan enjoyed dealing with that, he certainly never enjoyed it when it was me.

"Don't ask me. Obi Wan is the one who discovered it."

"You discovered an entire planet?" I turned my attention towards Obi Wan who was invested in his tablet, reviewing the details of our meeting, I assume. 

"No." He sighed, turning his attention towards Anakin. "Not exactly."

"Sure you did, Master. I'm sure Aaryn would love to hear the story!" 

"Not now." He whispered, his eyes catching onto mine for a moment. I felt my heart sink to the pit of my stomach. Did he not want to talk to me after all this time? I thought we ended things on a good note. 

"Fine." Anakin huffed. "I'll tell it then. About a year ago, Obi Wan and I were sent on separate missions. I was sent to protect Senator Amidala while he was-"

"Tasked to trace a bounty hunter." Obi Wan interrupted with a sigh. "It was difficult to trace, erased off all maps but I found it. They were building an army of clones for the Jedi, something none of us were aware of."

"Then a war broke out?" I leaned forward, resting my elbows against my knees while I listened to him speak. "Sounds like perfect timing."

"Perhaps it was." He nodded and gazed back down at the tablet in his lap. "We're here. You two behave."

We left the ship quickly with Rex and Cody at our heels. It was a dark planet and the buildings we landed on were surrounded by water. The clouds grew gray and I could smell the rain that would soon pour.

Inside the building wasn't too different. The walls were dull and the lights were dim. There were clones for as far as the eye could see, even with the minimal lighting. It was crazy how many there were, how dispensable they were treated.

"Masters Kenobi and Skywalker. And... General Skywalker, welcome to Kamino." Shaak Ti greeted us, her arms folded formally in front of her.

"Greetings, Generals." The Kaminoan bowed their head towards us. 

They were tall. Incredibly so. I don't think I had ever seen anything like the Kaminoan, but I tried not to stare. 

"I wish our arrival wasn't under such circumstances. We believe Grievous is planning a Separatist attack on Kamino." Obi Wan explained. He always took charge, that was one thing that hadn't changed.

"But the Republic blockade is far too strong. They would not dare."

Right as the words were spoken from the Kaminoan's mouth, an alarm started to blare through the base. I looked to Obi Wan and Anakin, hoping they may have formulated a plan in case such a thing were to occur. 

I was out of luck.

"I'll go." Anakin said hurriedly, rushing towards the star fighters.

"Let me go with you!" I quickly nodded, ready to take off after him. A firm grip on my arm pulled me back, keeping me steady. I looked, meeting Obi Wan's eyes as he calmly shook his head. The emergency alarm didn't even seem to phase him. 

"You're staying here."

"They need my help." 

"They can handle it." He declared, not giving me any room for argument as Shaak Ti led us away from the open space into a much more private room.

"Prepare the map." She spoke to the Kaminoan as we entered. The room soon lit up with the light blue globe and yellow maps surrounding us. 

Troopers worked diligently at mapping out plans of attack while the Separatists moved in. Still, everyone remained fairly calm. They were used to this and while it was sad, this was war. 

"Shore up our defenses." Cody commanded to the surrounding troops. 

We all stood around the globe, trying to formulate some sort of plan. "The fleet is not as large as I expected." Shaak Ti spoke to Obi Wan and me. "Begin the air strike."

The clones tapped away at the walls of maps, communicating with the Republic ships. I'm sure they were having one hell of a time. I would rather be up there, but I guess I was still training. 

"Warning. Falling debris." The alert echoed through the halls. 

"Grievous appears to be sacrificing his transports in favor of protecting his command ship." We all watched as the battle went on in the sky, safely holed up in the command room.

"Something's not right." Obi Wan whispered. Partly to himself, but it was loud enough for us to hear. He was right. Something about this was suspicious. 

We were winning far too easily for this to be their plan. 


	4. Chapter 4

# 03

* * *

Debris was crashing into the waters, forcing the buildings to shake. The ground started to tremble with every drop. Everything about the apparent victory appeared much too simple. The Separatists were skillful and thought out every move, they would never become so naive.

The clones worked diligently to try and figure out a plan of attack. Everything in the sky was working, or so it appeared. Perhaps working a bit too well. 

"I'm gonna press the attack, Master." Anakin's voice came through Obi Wan's comm link. From his point of view, they already won. The Separatist defenses were weak.

"No, Anakin. Wait." Obi Wan was quick to respond. "It's too easy. Not even Grievous would attack so recklessly."

"Master, the battle's up here in space, not down there."

Obi Wan's brow furrowed, creating a sharp crease between the two. His face held more wrinkles than it used to. He'd aged since Aaryn last saw him, but eleven years could not create such stress lines. No, those were from Anakin's constant rebellious tendencies.

It must've run in the Skywalker blood. 

Obi Wan was still, in Aaryn's mind, the loveliest person she'd ever laid eyes on. His hair was neatly pushed back away from his face, framed by a reddish beard that was very clearly well-groomed. He was the image of elegance and perfection from every angle.

He presented himself with pride and poise. The confidence seeped from him, filling everyone around him with the same feeling. He was meant to be a leader, he was built for this. 

"The debris from the destroyed Separatist ships is the key." 

"There's something larger at play here." Aaryn whispered, tearing her eyes from Obi Wan's face to watch the ships fall from the glowing maps around them. 

"What are you thinking?" Shaak Ti turned towards him, her eyes wide. She knew his plan, Aaryn did too. But that did not mean they agreed with it. 

"I think I'd like to go for a swim." Obi Wan shrugged. "You stay here. Do you understand me, General Skywalker?" He turned towards Aaryn with a stern, darkened look in his eyes.

Aaryn huffed out a quiet scoff and rolled her eyes. "Loud and clear." She delivered a mock salute and directed her attention to the hologram in front of her. She did not like being treated like a child on this mission. Being babysat by the Jedi was not ideal, she knew she was meant for something greater than being watched. 

Obi Wan gave her a nod and swiftly left the room. He was a man on a mission, determined and prepared to face anything that came his way. 

They continued to work while Obi Wan was off on his own. They hoped he was winning them the battle, but no one could tell. He was difficult to connect to, practically impossible to read. 

The rain was pouring down now. It began drumming against the roof like a stampede. The storms on Kamino were dangerous. They were often deadly with the combination of the floods and whipping winds. 

Aaryn's brain began to think through all of the worst possible situations with Obi Wan out there. Perhaps even out in the rain. Another foolish decision on his part in her mind. She was left with a choice to make, one that she may regret, but it was something she felt she had to do. 

"Excuse me." Aaryn whispered to the Kaminoan. "I just need to use the refresher. Where might that be?"

"Just down the hall we came. Second door to your right." 

"Thank you." She smiled and bowed her head as she left, hoping to avoid Shaak Ti's suspicious gaze on her way out. She busied herself with the clones, not concerning herself too much with Aaryn's chaotic decisions.

Aaryn was able to sneak outside into the storm. The rain was rough, pelting her skin with each drop. It was so aggressive that it almost hurt. Her clothes stuck to her body while her hair matted down against her head. 

The rain created a haze around her to the point where she couldn't see anything more than five feet in front of her. She searched for Obi Wan, hoping that she might catch sight of a blue blade or a man clad in beige, but there was nothing. 

"Damn it." She mumbled, trying to shield her eyes.

Even if Obi Wan was out there, she would never be able to tell. 

Another alarm went off from the speakers. It was difficult to see, but Aaryn's eyes caught sight of the flashing lights that alerted everyone of intruders in the building. Her body was growing weary as she stood out in the pouring rain. Certainly any form of exhaustion would not help her in fighting off the battle droids that were crowding the halls. 

Inside, the lights beamed a bright red that almost felt blinding when compared to the fog outside. The metal stomps of the droids' feet were loud, masking the sound of the rain that continued to pummel the roof. 

Aaryn's footsteps were light as she ran through the hall. All she could think about was finding Obi Wan or Anakin. She could sense their trouble, it clouded her mind to the point she couldn't think of anything else but them. Seeing how the two of them did everything on a whim, it could easily be either one. 

"Kenobi, Kamino has fallen." A raspy, strained, and mechanical voice echoed through the hall. Aaryn chased it, finding a tall, robotic man standing over Obi Wan with a pair of lightsabers. "Your clone army is doomed."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Aaryn stepped out from behind the corner into the middle of the hall to reveal herself from her hiding spot. "General Grievous? You're dumber than I expected." She grinned and pulled her lightsaber from its clip, twirling it in her hand before she ignited the white blade.

He looked to Aaryn and Obi Wan before crawling away. Grievous could tell he was outnumbered and would be taken care of far too soon for his liking if he stuck around. They could have let him get away and call off the ridiculous attack, but Aaryn always had something to prove. 

She took off down the hall after Grievous, running as fast as her legs could carry her. Obi Wan grunted as he stood, snatching his lightsaber from the ground and chasing after her. 

The rain came to a halt outside, leaving a heavy mist in its wake as the wind picked up the ocean waters. Aaryn slid onto the platform, gripping her lightsaber tightly in her hand. Her eyes narrowed while they darted around, looking for the robotic Separatist. 

"General Skywalker-" Obi Wan started as he reached the runway, but it was too late. Grievous already jumped up behind her, cornering her on the platform with nowhere to run. 

He chuckled and spun his sabers while he approached her, but she kept on her stern expression. Aaryn stared into the sabers' light with a look of determination. She didn't fear death and she most certainly did not fear Grievous.

The two circled each other, waiting for someone to take the first strike. Before either of them could move, a piece of debris landed on the runway, breaking it away from the building. 

"Aaryn!" Obi Wan shouted as he dove out of the way. 

The pad began to tilt, causing Aaryn to stumble over her feet. Grievous tried to use it to his advantage, but she was still too quick for his strikes. Soon, it tilted too far for her to stand. 

Obi Wan struggled his way towards his fellow general, but ended up holding onto the edge alongside her for dear life. Aaryn looked to Obi Wan, whose brows were scrunched together in frustration. He was _mad_ , but saving her life was more important to him right now than his anger. 

They clung desperately to the metal until they couldn't any longer and plunged towards the icy waters. Obi Wan's arms wrapped around Aaryn while she braced herself for the impact of the water, but it never came.

The two met the back of an Aiwha, lifting them back into the sky. Aaryn could feel the breath of relief that Obi Wan let out against her neck, bringing a chill throughout her body. He helped her shift behind him on the alien, holding tightly to him as they rose up towards the fallen platform. 

"We've got to stop meeting like this, my friend." Obi Wan joked and rubbed the beast's neck, giving it a gentle pat. 

"You know this thing?" Aaryn snorted, receiving a harsh glare from the man in front of her.

"I don't think I need to hear anymore jokes from _you_ today, General Skywalker. You've done quite enough."

Aaryn let out a puff of annoyance and turned away from him while they flew back to the base. Obi Wan was silent through the ride, but was kind enough to thank the alien before it dove back into the water. The anger that was building inside him had subsided for a moment, but as soon as they were alone, it grew louder than ever.

The fire burning inside of Obi Wan was strong and while he was always one to push aside those harsh emotions, he couldn't hold it back this time. Aaryn was reckless. He knew this, the council knew this, yet they allowed her back so easily.

Just the sight of Aaryn left Obi Wan in a state of shock and the overwhelming emotions that came with it were too much for the Jedi to handle. He hadn't felt such emotions for years and yet with one look, they all came flooding back.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Obi Wan hissed through his teeth with his back faced to the woman. He stared out at the water, unable to bring himself to look her in the eyes. "I had it handled."

Aaryn snorted. "Really? You were on the ground, no lightsaber, completely defenseless. I _saved_ you. Have you truly grown so proud that you can't accept a little bit of help?"

Obi Wan spun around swiftly on his heel, his finger pointed between her eyes as he seethed. "I didn't _need_ help."

"Eleven years ago, you always needed my help. How was I supposed to know any different?"

" _Eleven years ago_! You think I haven't changed in eleven years? I have grown since you left. I'm not the same person you abandoned on Coruscant." His eyes held a certain ferocity to them that Aaryn had never seen in Obi Wan's innocent blue eyes. They reminded her of her own gaze, menacing and unforgiving as they pierced into anyone who dare look. " _You_ need to learn your place in all of this. We're not on a silly mission, we're in a war. You came to play your part, do it responsibly."

Aaryn sighed and reached her hand out towards his arm, only for it to be ripped from her grasp. "Obi-" She started.

"It's General Kenobi to you." He snapped and turned his back to her once again. Aaryn's heart sunk as she was left with nothing but the shell of a man she used to know. "Gather your things and get on the ship. We're leaving."

He left, not allowing her to speak another word. Knowing Aaryn, she would have been willing to carry out the fight for hours, _days_ if she could. She was relentless and stubborn, that was something about her that had not changed in eleven years.

Aaryn sighed and stared up at the base. She had no need to gather her things, everything she brought was already with her. Her gaze shifted to Obi Wan, watching his disappearing form as he went to gather their troops.

Well, almost everything was with her. 


	5. Chapter 5

# 04

* * *

Rumors spread quickly through the ship after Kamino. Everyone knew of Obi Wan's lecturing and everywhere I went, people huddled together and whispered. Even the troopers began talking about what went down. I suppose they were all exhausted, tired of hearing about these war battles. Sometimes adolescent drama was the only thing that truly spiked their interest.

I couldn't blame them. It certainly added something interesting to my life. Here I was, thinking I was going to become a hardened war general, but instead I was being babysat by the Jedi and told off for trying to help.

_Yay_.

I kept my head hung low as I passed on my way to the landing deck, blocking out their subtle remarks as I went by. It was like I was a Padawan all over again, being criticized by the Jedi masters in the halls. Well, that was still continuing on top of all the other drama and I wasn't even a Jedi anymore. 

The ship was fairly empty at this time of day, at least the hangar was bare. Everyone was debriefing or off on their own missions while I was assigned, yet again, to Anakin and Obi Wan. Although, I heard that Anakin's Padawan was joining us this time. That was the only plus.

With the lack of people around, it was easy to detect the mop of red hair that stood next to the starfighter. Obi Wan was standing peacefully next to Anakin, a crease forming between his eyebrows as he spoke with his former Padawan. It was almost a serene scene if just the sight of him didn't fill me with a burning rage. 

It was so easy for him to prance around and act like nothing happened. He _hurt_ me and didn't even bat an eye while doing it. He wasn't the man I once thought he was. Now, he was a model Jedi, exactly what everyone expected. I'm surprised they didn't build a statue when they already kissed the ground he walked on. 

Before I knew it, I was stomping over to them. I couldn't stop myself if I wanted to. I couldn't even take a moment to breathe and rethink what I was about to do. Instead, I plastered on a bright, only slightly suspicious smile as I sauntered up to them.

"Hey, Aaryn." Anakin chuckled, his eyes darting over my deranged expression while I kept my focus on Obi Wan. He refused to look at me, instead turning his attention to his holocron bracelet as he reviewed the message. "How you uh- How are you doing? You ready for today?"

"I'm great," I answered quickly and crossed my arms snug against my chest. "So, _General Kenobi_."

He answered with a gentle, inquisitive hum, but his attention was still elsewhere. There wasn't anything interesting to look at, we had all been debriefed already. The message was vague but it was of high importance. There were no details or strategies, only the instructions to follow the call to the Crelythiumn System.

"You plan on babying me on this mission too?" His blue eyes met mine, hazy and tired. The bags under his eyes were more prominent than before. They were darker and slightly purple in color. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he hadn't slept in days. "Or maybe you could put me on a leash and have me trail behind you, is that your plan? I must say that if you haven't learned by now, you never will. I'm not going to _behave_ for you, you inconsiderate, stuck-up, thick-headed, ass-"

"Enough." He interrupted. His jaw clenched and twitched as the red anger grew across his face. "You need to grow up, stop acting like such a child."

I scoffed. "Maybe you need to stop treating me like one."

"That is a childish response!" He snapped and took a step towards me. Though he wasn't too much taller than me, he seemed to tower over me at this moment. His face crinkled in frustration. What were once smile lines across his face were now turned into an angry frown. "You have the sense of a Padawan- no, a _Gungan_. It's no wonder you were never approved to become a knight." 

An irritated huff of breath escaped me in a borderline laugh while I stood. "Oh, you must've experienced some brain trauma since then because you _know_ that is not the reason. Or should I show you? We both know I'm fully capable of that as well." I hissed and reached for the hilt of my lightsaber at my hip.

He grumbled as he, too, moved for his saber. I would never expect for a _Jedi_ to react so harshly, but it seemed I brought out the worst in him.

Before either of us could react, we were interrupted by a youthful voice. "Master Skywalker! Master Kenobi!" A young Togruta was barreling over with a beaming grin. "Who's this?"

"This," Anakin draped an arm over my shoulders and pulled me into his side, quickly moving me away from Obi Wan's menacing stare, "is my sister, Aaryn. Aaryn, meet my Padawan, Ahsoka."

Ahsoka had a kind smile and bright blue eyes. She couldn't have been much older than fifteen. Her round face and short stature made this clear, but also the little hop in her step. Being a child in a war must be horrible, but I had no doubt that Anakin was keeping everything as interesting as possible.

He was denied a childhood, something that haunted me forever. He knew what it was like to mature at far too young of an age, he wouldn't burden another child with that.

Ahsoka gasped and ran up next to me as we climbed the ramp into the ship. "Anakin has told me so much about you! You're the new General, aren't you? Do I call you General Skywalker? Or are you going to be General Aaryn because of Anakin? Maybe there will be General Skywalker one and General Skywalker two!"

"Enough, Snips." Anakin growled and sat himself next to Obi Wan in the pilot's seat.

"Snips?" I questioned. 

"It's just what he calls me." Ahsoka smiled. "I'm so glad you're coming with us! It can get a little boring sometimes when it's just the three of us."

Obi Wan scoffed, "I'd hardly call anything involving you and Anakin _boring_ , Ahsoka."

Anakin shook his head and tried to deny the crazy adventures that Ahsoka soon went into detail about as we took off. They were quite the pair, outgoing and a bit too adventurous for their own good. Reminded me of someone else I once knew.

We quickly arrived at the location - the supposed location, at least. There was nothing around except for distant stars and planets, but there was a certain _pull_ , I suppose. It felt like the Force flowed through all of the space around us, beckoning us to come closer. I was tempted, I hated to say it, to just jump out of the fighter and find out for myself. 

"Rex." Anakin activated the comms as we arrived. We were meant to meet a Republic Cruiser, but it was nowhere to be found. "Rex, do you read me? We're at the rendezvous point awaiting your arrival. Where are you?"

"Sir, we are at the rendezvous point," Rex answered with furrowed brows, "and there's no sign of you on our scanners."

"Oh, come on," Anakin scoffed, "that's impossible. Something's wrong. We're at the exact coordinates where the distress signal originated, but there's nothing here. Rex is at the exact same coordinates, and he's not here." Anakin was growing frustrated. His words started to speed up and he began waving his hands around as he spoke.

Obi Wan hummed, his hand raising to run his fingers through his beard. "This is getting interesting," he said calmly. 

Rex's hologram began to flicker as it slowly wavered and dissipated. "Unable to find you. Where are you, Sir?"

"Something's blocking the signal." Ahsoka spoke as she investigated the controls.

As if luck wasn't already on our side, as soon as the words left her mouth, the electronics throughout the ship shut down. We were left in the dark abyss of space with only enough light to see the outlines of each other's shadows.

"Not good." Obi Wan mumbled as we all frantically began pressing any buttons we could to get things powered up once again. 

"Everything's dead," Ahsoka's voice was grim, "even the life support."

"This is really strange." I heard Anakin whisper right before everything came back on. 

"Well," I chuckled, "it seems like everything is back to normal. There's nothing to be concerned about."

Ahsoka's eyes seemed to widen as her hand rose to point at the large, red and black diamond-shaped object that we were nearing. "Then what's that?"

The ship beeped and trembled as we were pulled towards the planet-like-object. It certainly didn't look like a planet, not in the traditional sense. It glowed and was much smaller than any planet or moon that I'd ever seen. 

"It's pulling us towards it." Ahsoka looked between us all, gripping the two front seats while the diamond shifted and split, flashing us with a blinding white light. 

"It doesn't look too friendly, either." I grimaced and grabbed the back of Obi Wan's seat.

Obi Wan turned back to face the two of us, his voice gentle, collected, and demanding, but his eyes were filled with worry. "Everyone, strap yourselves in." He ushered Ahsoka back to her seat. "Looks as though we're going for a ride."

We all quickly pulled out belts across us as the white light enveloped us. It hurt my eyes and sent a splitting pain through my head. I thought it would go on forever. We just kept getting pulled deeper and deeper into the light. I remembered hearing Ahsoka call for Anakin before my mind went blank. Suddenly the light was gone and all that was left was darkness.

I could see flashes of red, a shout, maybe a plea? Blue lights clashed as splashes of orange shot out around them. It was fierce - angry, even. Then there was a softer light, a gentle yellow cast on dunes of sand, followed by a pair of blue eyes. They were beautiful and familiar, but sad in ways I didn't understand. Finally, a nearing blood-red light. I felt the heat of it on my face, but before it could reach, I woke up.

A gasp escaped me while I frantically tried to grab onto something just to prove I was back to reality. My hand met a gentle cloth and as I looked up, I saw the same blue eyes from my dream. They weren't so sad this time, but they were accompanied by Obi Wan's worried face. 

"Are you alright?" His voice was so sincere and rich, full of his accent that no one could quite place. 

I tore my hands from his arm and nodded, hardly remembering how to speak until I mumbled out a quiet, "I'm fine."

The light was still bright outside the shuttle, but thankfully not as blinding. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, but all around us were tall, green plants. It was a beautiful sight to behold and it took everything in me to not throw myself out the door to see if the grass was as soft as it looked.

"Where are we?" Anakin whispered.

"Some kind of organic mass." Ahsoka spoke as she fidgeted with the controls. "All of our readings indicate that it's bigger than an asteroid. But at least the atmosphere is breathable."

"Well, this is getting more unusual by the minute. I can't even lock down where in the galaxy we are," Obi Wan paused, the creases in his forehead became more prominent with his confusion, "or if we are even in our own galaxy."

"Let me see." I pushed Anakin's hands away from the controls as I stepped up and started poking at the buttons. "The ship is fine, sorta. Nothing's working but there's no damage, either. I say we go explore, hm?"

Obi Wan sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. "I have a bad feeling about this."


	6. Chapter 6

# 5

* * *

It was so incredibly green outside of the star fighter, a place like no other. The mountains were high, their tips just reaching the clouds that floated amongst the sky. Then there were smaller stones, still boulders in comparison to the pebbles at our feet, but they levitated in the air. I had a feeling in my gut that they weren't doing that entirely on their own. 

A shallow fog circled around us and everything around. It was white and whimsical as though it had a mind of its own. It rolled down the hills in waves and collected at the base of the mountains. The entire scene was like one from a dream.

" _Are you the one_?" A voice whispered in my ear. It was a gentle, feminine voice that echoed in my head.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"What?" Anakin looked dumbstruck, although I figured I didn't look much different. "Did you hear that?"

Obi Wan shrugged and continued to peer out of the binoculars. "I didn't hear anything."

"I did." I whispered, just loud enough for Anakin to understand me. I didn't want the others to think I was crazy, even though I thought I might be. I'd heard voices in my head in the past, but nothing like the one I was hearing.

" _Are you the one_?" It repeated. 

As if on cue, Anakin and I both turned to face a magical woman. Her hair was a lively green that flowed down her back like silk, contrasting her pale skin that was decorated with a long, golden dress. She shimmered in the light, like a figment of my imagination. If I didn't know any better I would say she was nearly transparent. I swore I could see through her figure.

" _Hello_." Obi Wan all but purred. 

"Who are _you_?" I demanded. I could feel a growing pain in my head from the pointed look I was giving.

"I am Daughter." She explained as vaguely as possible. "Are you the one?" She asked again. I tried to look in her eyes, but I couldn't tell if she was looking at me or Anakin.

Anakin grumbled under his breath while his hands rose to rest on his hips, "Uh, the one what?"

"I will take you to him."

"Him, who?"

"Did you bring us here?" Obi Wan and Ahsoka both questioned.

The woman appeared to sigh at what I could only assume was our ignorance, "only he can help you," she stated firmly. "There is little time. Follow me. We must have shelter by nightfall."

Anakin scoffed, "and we thought the planet was strange. How about this one?"

"Tell me about it," I rolled my eyes and bumped my shoulder against his, bringing a smile to both of our faces.

"We'll be fine as long as we stay together," Obi Wan reassured us. I knew in my gut it wasn't going to be that simple, but we could hope.

The walk was peaceful as we all remained quiet a majority of the journey. I thought it would be warm since the light was so bright, but nothing appeared to be _real_ here. When we first arrived, there was no bright sun, no greenery to be seen at all, yet it surrounded us now. I certainly couldn't be the only one that was suspicious of this random planet.

"Have you noticed the seasons seem to change with the time of day?" Obi Wan whispered among our group of four.

I nodded, feeling a sudden chill creep up my spine. "Or the fake, rubber feeling of the planets?"

"And there are no animals," Ahsoka added.

Obi leaned towards Anakin and I as we trailed the mysterious woman, "and you two sense it?" he asked.

"Since we saw the planet - or, whatever this is." I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling the cold temperatures increase yet the others seemed entirely unaffected. "The Force is incredibly strong here, it's like I feel it flowing through me." 

"An intersection unlike anything I've ever felt before," Obi Wan agreed. "Be wary." 

"Excuse me. Who are you taking us to?" Anakin asked the lady. She hadn't so much as glanced at us since we left the ship.

"The Father, of course," she answered simply

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. How very vague of her. "Well, of course. And who are _you_?" I snapped.

Her gaze shifted around the area, gesturing widely to the plants - or maybe it was the rocks, even the planet. I thought I could see the faintest inkling of a smile on her face when her head turned towards us. "We are the ones who guard the power. We are the middle, the beginning, and the end"

Another breeze rolled through the canyon, sweeping my hair from my shoulders and forcing me to wrap my arms tighter around myself. I could feel a hand rest on my shoulder, it was gentle and comforting, but the sensation was soon replaced with a tight grip as a large boulder came tumbling down the canyon walls. If I hadn't been pulled from it's path, I soon would've become a splat at the bottom of the forest. 

I lifted my head from the ground, finding Obi Wan dangling from the ledge. My heart stopped for a moment and before I could process anything, I was hauling him back onto the small path. 

"Thank you," he breathed. His blue eyes darted across my face, wiping a small cut that developed on my cheek after hitting the rocks. "Are you two okay?"

"Yeah," I tried not to smile at the sight of his tousled hair, "we're good. What about Anakin?"

The three of us looked to the rock that now blocked our path while Obi Wan quickly turned to his communicator. "Anakin, are you there? Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

The line was quiet for a moment and if it weren't for Anakin and I's connection, I would've shared Obi Wan's concern.

"Yeah," he scoffed, "but our friend here has run off!" Anakin shouted. "Go back to the ship and try sending another distress call. I'll follow her and find out how to get off this rock."

Obi Wan sighed, "and if this is a trap?" 

"Then I'm not gonna wait around to find out."

"Anakin, stop." He demanded. "Wait for us to find another way around and meet you. Anakin?" His chest lifted as a sigh escaped him. "So reckless and impatient. Must be a Skywalker trait." He turned to me with a small grin. I couldn't decide if I wanted to slap it off of him or return it. 

"Maybe it is. You would be the one to know," I shrugged. Sounds of thunder rolled through the hills as the sky quickly darkened. The cold grew stronger and a sort of dizziness briefly took over me. "A storm?" My eyebrows stitched together in confusion at the sudden appearance.

Obi Wan's hands wrapped around my shoulders, helping me stand upright. He was just as confused as I was with the familiar creases in his forehead. 

"We need to go," he mumbled. His breath was warm against my ear, a momentary ease to the chill I felt.

We traced our steps back to the ship, trying to avoid the rainfall that was destined to come. The darkness slowly encompassed us as it spread across the sky, painting the sky a dark, dreamy blue. The green plants were no longer, replaced by rotten, brown-looking leaves that were deteriorating as the seconds passed. 

Our surroundings grew familiar, but there was nothing but an empty landing. There were no remnants, scraps of metal, or even indentions in the ground that signaled that our ship was once there. Everything was like new. Well, dead, but new.

"The ship's gone!" Ahsoka exclaimed.

"Yes," Obi Wan sighed, "I see that."

"It was _here,_ " she threw her arm out towards the vast space, "no question."

I felt the dizziness take over again, my hands flying to my head to stop the spinning. "Guys," I groaned, feeling faint like I could drop at any moment, but the two continued talking about our strange surroundings. " _Guys_ ," I tried again, nearly stumbling over my feet until a hand bunched up the back of my shirt and pulled me back to my feet. 

"Did you lose something?" Another echoey voice came. His piercing red eyes stared into me like a pair of lasers. "You didn't do as you were asked."

"Actually," I pried his hand from my clothing as the sickly feeling soon faded away, "we did exactly as we were told."

He scowled, "my sister said to _wait_."

"Did she, now?" Obi Wan asked, his fingers brushing my arm as he tried to pull me back. Instead, I reached for the hilt on my hip, igniting the white blade. "Well," he continued, "we were unfortunately separated. We'd like our ship back if you don't mind."

"Not yet," he hissed. "Is it true they are the chosen one?"

Obi Wan tugged me behind him forcefully despite my saber while he and Ahsoka both readied theirs. His face sunk, illuminated beautifully by the blue light, while his eyebrow rose daringly. "What do you know of such things?"

"What is about to happen shall occur whether you like it or not," his voice boomed. He swiped his hand through the air, shrinking all of our blades back into their hilts.

"You are Sith." Obi Wan quickly pointed towards the man. I finally took notice of his face, looking past the evil eyes. His skin was white with harsh red markings, nothing like his 'sister,' except for the hazy appearance.

"Sith?" He chuckled, quickly meeting my eyes. "Yes...And no. The storms here are quite lethal. If you want to live, I suggest you find shelter." He took off in a sprint before his body morphed into some dark, winged being and taking off into the stormy skies.

I gasped as the rain started to pour down, pelting my face with the harsh drops. I paid no mind to the pain. I was more focused on the coolness of the drops as they hit my skin and soaked my robes and hair. 

Lightning struck all around, but seemed to avoid us. "Quick," Obi Wan grabbed my arm, "there's a cave over there." 

He ushered us into the dark cave, both of them wearing grim expressions while working on starting a fire. I looked around the dreary space, then back outside where the rain poured down, and I started to laugh. 

I couldn't stop laughing, no matter how hard I tried. We were in the most absurd of situations, I swore I had to be part of some large prank or a dream. Obi Wan and Ahsoka looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was.

"Aaryn?" Obi Wan questioned. "What is it?"

"Nothing- Nothing it's just," I huffed and tried to catch my breath. "Actually, no. It's not nothing. My brother is _missing_ and we're on some strange planet or whatever it is! We're surrounded by these weird creatures who, if you haven't noticed, are Force users. _Dangerous_ Force users." 

"What, like you? Do you think I don't care that Anakin is gone?" Obi Wan seethed as he inched closer to me. "He may be your brother, but like it or not, he's my family too. Of course I'm worried about him, but he can handle himself just fine. He's not nine anymore, you missed all of that, you missed him growing up because you _left_."

I groaned and shoved him back before getting into his face, his eyes narrowing into mine. "You're incredibly insensitive, General Kenobi. I envy anyone who's had the pleasure of _not_ meeting you," I snapped.

"You have a sharp tongue, General Skywalker. It's a shame it's not put to better use," he grinned, "you'd make a terrific Senator."

"You despise politicians."

He leaned close to me, a fierce glimmer in his eye, "exactly."

We remained still for a moment, tied in our argument once again until Ahsoka cleared her throat with a smile threatening to spread across her face. I forgot we had extra company.

"As much as I enjoy watching... _whatever_ this is, maybe we should get some rest? That storm isn't going to leave anytime soon, we might as well," she shrugged and gestured towards the large fire she'd set up.

Obi Wan nodded quickly and pulled his shoulders back, always the professional. "Right," he agreed, "rest sounds good." 

Rest _did_ sound good, if only for a little bit. The creepy Sith-thing said the storms were deadly, so we didn't have anything to worry about. 

I sat down against the cold rocks, curling into the most comfortable position I could find. I would only close my eyes for a few minutes, just a few. All I had to do was remind myself that Anakin was smart and safe, then I could fall asleep.

What could possibly happen in just a few minutes?


End file.
